It's hard to give up your loyalty to your team.
You may have played for them. You may have rooted for them. It could be a long family lineage attachment to that team and/or program.
So you may be able to understand when fill-in 929 host Bryant McFadden is a little disappointed with both of this former teams - the Florida State Seminoles and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The two-time Super Bowl champion and seven-year NFL pro was asked his opinions of both teams by morning host John Fricke, and McFadden didn't hold back with his thoughts.
On the Seminoles: “This will be an important and big year for Willie Taggart. Hiring Kendall Briles was huge for him because clearly he was a bit over his head as far as calling the plays. Hiring a guy with experience in calling plays allows him to oversee everything with the team in its totality and focus your attention on every unit. If he falls again like they did a year ago, and not going to a bowl, we could be looking for a new coach. The standard is the standard."
McFadden called the 2019 National Champion Clemson the new Florida State. "There's so many unknowns with this team (his Seminoles). Clemson is the new FSU, let's keep it real. They're what Florida State used to be. Florida State's nowhere in the pack. They have to find their identity and being consistent and prepared."
Given his Steelers connections, McFadden compared them to being forced to watch soap operas as a kid.
“Every day...there was always some crazy storyline going on and, as a child, it caught my attention. And that's what we're seeing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. They're the ultimate football soap opera. They have to find a way to get out of that limelight. It starts with Mike Tomlin. It's your job to nip something in the bud instantly."
"He was a no-nonsense guy,” he said on Tomlin. "He was a disciplinarian. We had a veteran-led team, and he allowed us to police the team. If something got out of line, he would call you on it. He always emphasized, ‘I don’t always treat everyone the same.’ They've gotten away from that basis as Tomlin's allowing players to be themselves. It's your job to nip some things in the bud."
McFadden also lays some of the blame at the feet of QB Ben Roethlisberger, and he feels the Steelers as we knew them, are broken.
“When I was there, Ben was a little difficult at times. When you become the youngest QB to win a Super Bowl for an organization like the Steelers, mentally that's going to do something with your ego. It's safe to say that at as 22- or 23-year-old, your ego is going to go through the roof. And that happened. Eventually, he became a bit difficult to deal with. Joey Porter called him out in a team meeting; called him out on his BS and put him in his place. And then Ben was level-headed. Right now, they don't have that (type of) personality."
Are the Steelers broken? "You have just lost a top 1 or 2 running back and a 1, 2 or 3 wide receiver. Both of whom were playing at a high level. You can’t have that and a top three QB and not make the playoffs. How is that possible? Those were big-time years they lost out on when they had talent like that at key positions."